Improvement in folding store-shelves



y M. P. KEY.

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WITNESSES UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE MINTER P. KEY, OF WAKAHACHIE, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING STOR-SHELVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.` 159,583, dated February 9, 1875; application filed October 31, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MINTER P. KEY, of Waxahachie, in the county of Ellis and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding and Portable, Store- 1helving, of which the following is a speciiicaion: l

Figure l is a front view of a section of my improved shelving arranged for use, parts being broken away to show the construction. F1g.2 is a vertical cross-section of the same taken through the line a: Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same taken through the line y y, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an end view of the same folded, parts being broken away to show the construction. Fig. 5 is a front view 0f the cornice-board and its hinged end boards. Fig. 6 :is an edge view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish store-shelving which shall be so constructed that it may be readily folded for convenience 1n moving it, in removing it f'romthe store, and for transportation, and which shall be simple in construction, may be conveniently manipulated, and will hold the goods securely 1n all its various positions.

The invention will first be fully described, and then pointed ont in the claims.

Each section of the shelving is made of convenient length and height, and is divided into three equal parts or divisions, A B C. The lower part, A, is divided into two equal spaces, the upper space being occupied by drawers, D, and the lower space being left free, and being closed by a door or board, E. The door E is hinged at its lower edge to the bottom of the part A, so that it may be turned up to inclose the goods placed in said space, or turned down to cover and hide the caster-wheels F, which are attached to the bottom ofthe part A, and should be of such a size as to raise the said part A about a foot from the floor. The middle part, B, is hinged, at its lower rear edge, to the upper rear edge of the part A, so that the said part B may be turned or folded down with its back to the backl of the said part A, as shown in Fig. 4.. The upper part, C, is hinged,l

at its lower forward edge, to the upper forward edge of the middle part, B, so that as the middle part, B, is turned back and down the upper part, G, may descend without changing from a vertical position, and be face to face with the said middle part, B, as shown in Fig. 4. To the bottom of the. upper part, C, are attached two caster-wheels, Gr, equal in height to the caster-wheels F, and upon which the said upper part, G, rests when the shelving is folded. The caster-wheels Gr, when the sllelving is arranged for use, enter recesses, H, boarded o' in the upper part of the middle part, B, to prevent the goods from being injured by the said wheels. The interior ot' the parts B C is divided into any desired number of spaces by shelves. To the inner sides of the fronts of the drawers D are attached staples or loops, I, to receive the hooks J, attached to the bar K, which slides longitudinally upon guide pins or screws attached to the forward upper part of the part A, and which pass through slots in said bar K. To the middle part of the bar K is pivoted the 'forward end of the lever L, which is pivoted,

at or near its center, to the upper edge of the central cross partition that separates the spaces for the drawers D. The rear end of the lever L is beveled off, and is placed opposite an opening in the back of the lower part, A. To the rear side of the middlepart, B, is attached a beveled projection, M, which, when the said middle part, B, is turned back in folding the shelving, strikes the beveled end of the lever L, which moves the sliding bar K, and forces the hooks J through the staples I, locking the drawers D, and holding them locked until the part B is again raised. As the projection M is withdrawn the sliding bar K is pushed back by the spring N, one end of which is connected with the said sliding bar K, and its other end is-connected with the end of the part B. To the rear sides of the ends of the part A, and to the forward side of the upper part O, are rigidly attached catches, 0, which,wl1en the parts A B C are folded together, enter recesses in the opposite edges of the ends of the part B, and latch upon the hook-ends of the lever-catch P, which is piv otedat its center wit-hin a recess in the end of the said part B, and the ends of which are held forward in position to catch upon the catches O by a spring, Q, attached to it, and

which rests against the side of the recess in which said lever-latch is pivoted. By this construction the latch P catches upon the catches O automatically as the parts A B C are folded together, and can only be unlatched by means of a key, It, inserted in a key-hole in the ends of the part B. The part Ais made wider than the parts B C, and to the forward edge of its top is hinged a counter-board, S, the free edge of which is rabbeted to receive the rabbeted lower forward edge of the part B, as shown in Fig. 2. In the upper forward edge of the upper part, C, is formed a rabbet, which, when the shelving is folded together, fits into the rabbet of the lower forward edge of the middle part, B, and thus forms a close joint to prevent the entrance of water. To the top of the upper part, C, is hinged a cornice, T, which, when the shelving is folded, and the counter- 1 board S turned up, forms, in connection with the said counter-board, a sort of open box, in which goods may be packed.

If desired, and this construction I prefer, the cornice T may be replaced by a corniceboard, U, to the ends of which are hinged end boards, V, of such a length that their ends maybe secured to the ends of the counterboard S, and thus form a more convenient storage-box.

For convenience in folding the shelving when standing in a store., and full of goods, staples are attached to the ends of the upper part, C, to receive ropes passing around pulleys pivoted to the ceiling. rlhen, to fold the shelving, the operator grasps the free ends of the said ropes with one hand, and with his other hand draws the lower part, A, outward. This causes the middle part, B, to turn down to the rearward, and, by gradually slackening the said ropes, the three parts will take the position shown in Fig. 4, without any of said parts having been in such a position as to cause the goods to slip from the shelves.

When folded the shelving rests upon the wheels F G,.and may be readily drawn from room to room, or from place to place. The

device thus serves as shelves to display the goods, as a box for packing them, and as a vehicle for transporting them from place to place.

I am aware that the use of Wheels F Gr, in connection with parts A C, is not new; but

1. Sections of shelving made in three parts,

A B G, hinged to each other, substantially as herein shown and described, to adapt them to fold together withoutchanging the lower and upper parts from their ordinary vertical position, as set forth. A 2. In a store-shelving, the combination, with parts B C, of the counter-board S, hinged to the front edge of the counter, the rabbeted front edge of the part C folding against the corresponding portion of board B, while the counterboard S lies in a vertical position against the front of shelving when folded, as shown and described.

3. The middle part, B, provided 4with the inclosed recesses H to receive the wheels G ot' the upper part, G, when the section of shelving A B C is unfolded for use, and to protect the goods from said wheels, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The hinged counterboard S, and the hinged cornice-board U, provided with hinged end boards V, in combination with the hinged parts A B C of a section of shelving, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. The combination of the staples I, hooks J, sliding bar K, pivoted lever L, beveled projection M, and spring N with the drawers D and the lower and middle parts, A B, of the section A B C of shelving, substantially as' herein shown and described.

6. The combination of the catches O and the spring-lever latches P Q with the parts A B C of the section of shelving, substantially as herein shown and described.

MINTER P. KEY. Witnesses:

DANIEL G. MoLLoY, EZEKIEL M. BRURK. 

